Mandarin Monkey Podcast

By: Mandarin Monkey
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  • Summary

  • Chinese and English Language podcast. A mixed couple (Tom & Ula) living in Taiwan, teach Chinese through the use of Chinglish (Chinese and English) on a variety of topics. Learn Chinese, study methods, Entertainment, news, life, business, hints and tricks to learning Mandarin. Hear a native speaking naturally and at natural pace but with the English translation so you can follow the context of the conversation. Enjoy. Get bonus content on Patreon

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    Mandarin Monkey
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Language Learning Social Sciences
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Episodes
  • Learn Mandarin with the Mandarin Monkey Podcast: Untranslatable Words You Need to Know!

    Learn Mandarin with the Mandarin Monkey Podcast: Untranslatable Words You Need to Know!
    Feb 14 2025

    In this episode of the Mandarin Monkey Podcast, Tom and Ula dive into the world of untranslatable words—those linguistic gems that exist in Mandarin but leave English speakers scratching their heads, and vice versa. They explore phrases like "懒得理 (lǎn de lǐ)"—the perfect expression for when you just can’t be bothered—and "面子 (miànzi)", the all-important social concept of saving face.

    From the emotional richness of "心酸 (xīn suān)"—that bittersweet feeling of nostalgia—to the English quirk of feeling "hangry" when hunger turns you into a monster, this episode uncovers the fascinating differences that shape how we express ourselves across cultures.

    Plus, they challenge each other to guess the meaning behind some of the weirdest literal translations—like "wolf swallows, tiger gulps"—and invent some brand-new words for those everyday moments we all recognize but never knew how to name.

    Tune in for laughs, language insights, and a new appreciation for the wonderfully weird world of words!

    Get bonus content on Patreon

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    57 mins
  • 拍马屁 pāi mǎ pì - Slap the horses bum - Mandarin & English Podcast

    拍马屁 pāi mǎ pì - Slap the horses bum - Mandarin & English Podcast
    Feb 7 2025
    In this engaging episode of the Mandarin Monkey Podcast, hosts Tom and Ula delve into the fascinating world of literal translations between Mandarin and English. They explore how certain phrases, when translated word-for-word, can lead to humorous or confusing interpretations due to cultural and linguistic differences. The discussion includes idioms and expressions from both languages, highlighting the challenges and amusement that arise in translation. Listeners are treated to examples such as "It's raining cats and dogs" and its potential literal Mandarin translation, as well as Mandarin idioms like "一日三秋" (yī rì sān qiū), which literally means "one day, three autumns," but conveys the feeling of missing someone deeply. This episode offers a delightful blend of language learning and cultural insights, making it a must-listen for those interested in the nuances of Mandarin and English expressions. Get bonus content on Patreon

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    50 mins
  • 想 xiǎng vs. 要 yào | Confusion Mandarin & English words | Mandarin Monkey Podcast

    想 xiǎng vs. 要 yào | Confusion Mandarin & English words | Mandarin Monkey Podcast
    Jan 31 2025
    Ula and Tom speak about some confusing Mandarin and English words. All in Mandarin and English (Chinglish) for your listening pleasure.Mandarin Lessonswww.mandarinmonkey.com帶 (dài) vs. 戴 (dài)帶 (dài): to bring/carry (請帶你的護照。Qǐng dài nǐ de hùzhào. – Please bring your passport.)戴 (dài): to wear (accessories) (她戴了一條項鍊。Tā dài le yī tiáo xiàngliàn. – She wore a necklace.)買 (mǎi) vs. 賣 (mài)買 (mǎi): to buy (我買了一本書。Wǒ mǎi le yī běn shū. – I bought a book.)賣 (mài): to sell (這家店賣衣服。Zhè jiā diàn mài yīfú. – This store sells clothes.)見 (jiàn) vs. 見面 (jiànmiàn)見 (jiàn): to see (我昨天見到了他。Wǒ zuótiān jiàn dào le tā. – I saw him yesterday.)見面 (jiànmiàn): to meet (我們下週見面。Wǒmen xià zhōu jiànmiàn. – We will meet next week.)聽 (tīng) vs. 停 (tíng)聽 (tīng): to listen (請聽我說。Qǐng tīng wǒ shuō. – Please listen to me.)停 (tíng): to stop (請停車。Qǐng tíngchē. – Please stop the car.)還 (hái) vs. 還 (huán)還 (hái): still/yet (我還沒吃飯。Wǒ hái méi chīfàn. – I haven’t eaten yet.)還 (huán): to return something (請還我書。Qǐng huán wǒ shū. – Please return my book.)做 (zuò) vs. 作 (zuò)做 (zuò): to do/make (我要做飯。Wǒ yào zuò fàn. – I am going to cook.)作 (zuò): to act as or create (這是他的作品。Zhè shì tā de zuòpǐn. – This is his work.)借 (jiè) vs. 接 (jiē)借 (jiè): to borrow/lend (我可以借你的筆嗎？Wǒ kěyǐ jiè nǐ de bǐ ma? – Can I borrow your pen?)接 (jiē): to pick up (phone/person) or receive (我要去機場接他。Wǒ yào qù jīchǎng jiē tā. – I am going to the airport to pick him up.)試 (shì) vs. 是 (shì)試 (shì): to try (請試試這個。Qǐng shì shì zhège. – Please try this.)是 (shì): to be (我是老師。Wǒ shì lǎoshī. – I am a teacher.)借 (jiè) vs. 還 (huán)借 (jiè): to borrow (他借了我的書。Tā jiè le wǒ de shū. – He borrowed my book.)還 (huán): to return (請還我書。Qǐng huán wǒ shū. – Please return my book.)光 (guāng) vs. 亮 (liàng)光 (guāng): light (陽光很好。Yángguāng hěn hǎo. – The sunlight is nice.)亮 (liàng): bright (這盞燈很亮。Zhè zhǎn dēng hěn liàng. – This lamp is very bright.)換 (huàn) vs. 變 (biàn)換 (huàn): to exchange/change (我要換錢。Wǒ yào huàn qián. – I need to exchange money.)變 (biàn): to transform (他變了很多。Tā biàn le hěn duō. – He has changed a lot.)想 (xiǎng) vs. 要 (yào)想 (xiǎng): to think or miss someone (我想你。Wǒ xiǎng nǐ. – I miss you.)要 (yào): to want or need (我要喝水。Wǒ yào hē shuǐ. – I want to drink water.)近 (jìn) vs. 進 (jìn)近 (jìn): near (我家很近。Wǒ jiā hěn jìn. – My home is close.)進 (jìn): to enter (請進來。Qǐng jìnlái. – Please come in.)難 (nán) vs. 男 (nán)難 (nán): difficult (這題很難。Zhè tí hěn nán. – This question is very difficult.)男 (nán): male (他是男生。Tā shì nánshēng. – He is a boy.) Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    56 mins

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